Sunday, October 16, 2005

Kashmir - Tragedy in the Disputed Territory

Politics Prevails Over Aid to Earthquake Victims

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Makes one weep. A stark example of man's inhumanity to man. It is the decades old enemity between India and Pakistan over territorial rights in Kashmir that is preventing medical and other forms of assistance from reaching villages on the Pakistani side of the border. More than 38,000 dead according to latest reports. From Dan McDougall's report in The Observer "'We are desperate for heavy machinery: drills, backhoes, anything that can help remove the debris and perhaps save lives,' said Abdul Qayyum, a Bagh schoolteacher. 'The government should send heavy machinery so we can get bodies or save those who are still alive. If they can't help us, then let the Indian army over the border. They are only kilometres away. What is more important - politics or lives? We can hear the call to prayer from their mosques floating across the line of control. Their buildings are standing - they can help us.'